Machine for applying tape to innersoles



July 6,1937, H. L. OPIE 8 2 MACHINE FOR APPLYING TAPE TO INNERSOLES Filed Jun 4, 1955 Patented July 6, 1937 UNETED PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FDR APPLYENG TAPE TO INNER- SOLES Application June 4, 1935, Serial No. 24,882

2 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for applying tape to innersoles having an upstanding rib extending along the margin of the sole portion thereof, such rib being spaced inwardly from the contour edge of the sole. More specifically, the invention relates to mechanism for carrying out the process described in the application of Eaton and Opie, Serial No. 20,152, filed May 7, 1935.

In order to produce a shoe which will be light, flexible and strong, the innersole, before being applied to the last, is provided with an upstanding rib which may conveniently be formed by channeling a face of the innersole and turning up the channeled material so as to form the rib. This channeling or cutting may be done inwardly from the contour edge of the sole and also outwardly from a line spaced from the contour edge, the two flaps formed by the cuts being bent toward each other and cemented together to form a single upstanding rib. In order to reinforce this rib and at the same time to avoid as far as possible stifiening the sole as a whole, a strip of tape may be cemented to the inner face of therib and to the face of the sole adjacent thereto, such tape being preferably a bias textile tape to facilitate application of the tape to the sharply curved portion of the rib at the toe of the sole. According to the present invention, suitable mechanism is provided for applying such tape in the manner described.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference "may be had to the description thereof which follows and to the drawing of which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine for applying tape to innersoles.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the presserfoot included in the mechanism.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bracket having an adjustable gage mounted thereon.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

The invention may be embodied in a machine such as that illustrated on the drawing, this machine including a suitable base 85 having a standard l.fl in the upper portion of which is journaled a shaft l2. This shaft may be driven by any suitable power means as by a belt on a pulley l 3 fixed on the shaft l2. The standard I i is provided with ,a bracket 55 on the end face of which is a reciprocating member it having a slot ll through which extends a guide bolt l8. This structure allows up and down reciprocation of the member 16, and also rocking movement of this member about the axis of the bolt 18. movement may be imparted to the member l6 by any suitable mechanism such as an eccentric 20 which is mounted on the shaft 12. At the lower end of the member 66 is mounted a presserfoot 25, this presserfoot being secured to the member 55 as by a stem 26. The presserfoo-t itself has a bottom face-30, a portion 3! of which is serrated or knurled and projects slightly below the plane of the remainder of the face. the presserfoot slopes outwardly and upwardly as at 32 from the portion 3! of the bottom face. As indicated in Figure 5, the bottom 30 and the end face 32 are adapted topress against portions of an innersole and its rib, respectively, as the presserfoot is oscillated. Cooperating with the bottom face 35 is a suitable supporting member 35 for innersoles. This member may be in the form of a wheel having a broad circumferential edge and adapted to rotate about a horizontal axis 36, the wheel being supported by a suitable support which may be mounted on the base It]. The uppermost portion of the cylindrical surface of the disk 35 is directly beneath the presserfoot 25 and is suitably spaced therefrom so as to cooperate with the presserfoot so that, when the presserfoot is moved downward by rotation of the shaft l2, the portion of the innersole directly beneath the presserfoot will be squeezed or pinched against the uppermost portion of the supporting disk 35.

One end face of Reciprocating Mounted on the support member 40 is a bracket 55 which carries an abutment member or gage 46 overhanging a shelf 4'? formed on the bracket 45, this member being adjustable on the bracket toward or from the end face 32 of the presserfoot 25. The clearance between the gage 5D and the shelf 47 is suflicient to accommodate the marginal portion of a shoe sole, and the plane of the shelf 41 is substantially tangent to the cylindrical surface of the support disk 35. The gage member 46 presents an end face 50 toward the end face 32 of the presserfoot, these two end faces being substantially parallel to each other. As indicated in Figure 5, the gage member is preferably adjusted so as to cooperate with the presserfoot in such a manner that, when the presserfoot descends, the upstanding rib of the innersole is pressed between the faces 32 and 55 of the presserfoot and gage member respectively. Figure 5 illustrates in section a portion of an innersole 55 having an upstanding rib 56 and a tape 60 applied to the inner face of the rib 56 and to the adjacent surface of the innersole. A suitable adhesive is applied to a face of the tape or to the surface portions of the inner sole and rib which are to receive the tape, or both, prior to the application of the tape to the innersole and rib. The face portion 35 of the bottom of the presserfoot, being slightly lower than the remainder of the bottom face, enters the shallow channel left by the inner flap which constitutes a portion of the rib 56, so that the pressure of the entire bottom face of the presserfoot on the innersole is substantially uniform. In order to provide good anchorage for the tape 50, the tape supplied is preferably of suflicient width to extend across the shallow channel in which the bottom portion 3| of the presserfoot presses, and inwardly over a substantial additional area of the innersole, as indicated in Figure 5. During the pressing of the tape against the innersole and rib, the rib is bent outwardly by the inclination of the end faces 32 and 59 of the presserfoot and gage member so that the tape is pressed and cemented in place when the rib is held at such angle. .This ensures a correct relation between the tape and the rib so as to avoid transverse slack in the tape which would reduce its effectiveness as a reinforcing element for the rib, and at the same time avoid undue tension on the tape when the edges of the shoe upper are eventually stitched thereto.

As may be observed from Figure 2, the mechanism illustrated therein results in a movement on the part of the presserfoot 25 which is substantially circular. The direction of such motion will necessarily be opposite to the direction of rotation of the shaft 26. If, for example, the shaft 20 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction (Figure 2), the presserfoot describes circles in a clockwise direction and thus acts to feed the work toward the. left. The final portion of the descending movement and the initial portion of the ascending movement of the presserfoot is accompanied by motion toward the left. The final portion of the ascending movement and the initial portion of the descending movement is accompanied by motion toward the right. The motion of the presserfoot toward the left, which is maximum when the presserfoot is at its lowermost point, results in a feeding movement being imparted to the innersole. This feeding movement is facilitated by the free rotation of the supporting disk 35, the uppermost portion of which moves with the innersole as the latter is fed by transverse movement of the presserfoot. The serrated rportion 3| of the bottom face of the presserfoot obviates any slipping of the presserfoot on the innersole during the feeding movements thereof.

In order to ensure proper application of the tape to the innersole, suitable guide means may be provided. To this end, a fiat guiding eye 62 may be mounted on a suitable bracket 63 so as to guide the tape from a suitable source of supply (not shown) to the portion of the inner sole which is about to pass under the presserfoot 25. The rotation of the shaft I2 results in combined pressing and feeding movements of the presserfoot 25 so that the tape 60 is firmly pressed into place by repeated local action of the presserfoot on successive portions of the tape as it is applied to the inside face of the rib 56 and the adjacent surface of the innersole.

It is evident that various modifications and invention herein shown and described Without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for applying tape to an innersole having an upstanding rib spaced inwardly from the contour edge thereof, said machine comprising a presserfoot having a bottom face and an outwardly and upwardly sloping end face, a support member consisting of a disk mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis, the uppermost portion of the edge of said disk being directly beneath said presserfoot and suitably spaced therefrom to cooperate therewith in pressing a portion of an innersole within and adjacent to said rib, a fixed support member presenting toward said end face of the presserfoot a face parallel thereto and suitably spaced therefrom to cooperate therewith in pressing a portion of said rib, and means for moving said presserfoot into and out of pressing relation with said disk and fixed support member.

2. A machine for applying tape to an innersole having an upstanding rib spaced inwardly from the contour edge thereof, said machine comprising a cylindrical support member rotatable on a horizontal axis, a presserfoot above said member, means for imparting to said presserfoot circular pressing and feeding motion, a fixed support member having a shelf in a plane substantially tangent to the cylindrical surface of the rotatable support member, and a backing member for the rib adjustably mounted on said fixed support member and spaced above said shelf to accommodate the marginal portion of the work.

HUGH L. OPIE.

changes may be made in the embodiment of the 

